January 21, 2022 3:30 a.m.
Graduation rates continue to rise at Roseburg High School, with the four-year cohort graduation rate reaching 89 percent for the 2020-21 school year.
Dr. Jill Weber, Principal at RHS said the rate, which tracks students who first entered high school in 2017-18, is 8 percentage points higher than the state average, according to data released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education.
Dr. Weber said the goal has always been focused on student success. Dr. Weber said “this four-year graduation rate shows that the work we have been focused on is making a difference. Our culture of supportive relationships with a focus on academic success seeks to engage all students and meet their individual needs”.
The RHS release said the overall district rate, which includes Phoenix Charter School and the final year of Rose School, increased by about 1 percentage point from the previous school year, to 69 percent. The individual 2020-21 rate for Phoenix was about 29 percent. Rose School saw a 17 percent four-year cohort rate for 2020-21.
The release said RHS absorbed Rose School students for the current school year in an effort to provide more equitable learning opportunities and support systems. Dr. Weber said the district also continues to closely monitor key data at Phoenix such as attendance and grades, in an effort to help the school improve achievement outcomes.
Weber acknowledges that the disruptions of in-person learning at the start of the pandemic will likely be felt for years to come as younger students continue their high school careers. Rates of 9th-graders on track for on-time graduation, for example, have dropped considerably, indicating the work ahead.
Dr. Weber said RHS has implemented multiple-programs over the past few years to ensure students remain on track to graduate. These programs previously helped raise the percentage of 9th graders on track to graduate to 90 percent. The release said research shows that focusing on 9th graders early on substantially increases their chances of graduating on time. Among the supports the school has put in place are small learning communities, graduation coaching and extended learning opportunities.
More information about graduation requirements at RHS and in Oregon in general, are available at: https://www.roseburg.k12.or.us/about-us/gaining-on-graduation